Peeled - Week 9

Introduction

Review:

You’ve been with us the last 8 weeks or so, we’re in a series called “Peeled.” We are talking about how to make our life more “appealing.” We’ve been discussing things we need to Peel off and things we need to put on.

We’ve said this is a work of the Holy Spirit in us. That our job is to create an environment in our lives where the Holy Spirit can work. He wants to produce some great things in our lives, but we have to give him something to work with.

We’ve talked about:

Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, and Faithfulness.

Opening Story/Illustration:

As we get started tonight, I want to open with a little exercise. Everyone has 2 minutes, take out the paper in front of you and draw me a picture that describes what it means to be strong.

Transition to the Text:

A word or a picture that you don’t often think of having to do with strength: “Gentleness”

Text:

Let’s Check out Our Text tonight.

Galatians 5:22–26 NLT

But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit’s leading in every part of our lives. Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Transition to to Points:

Tonight we want to talk about peeling back anger and putting on gentleness. I want to talk about the benefits of gentleness.

Points

Benefits of Gentleness:

Strength

Gentleness is strength under control

It is not the weak who need to worry about being gentle, but the strong.

Unfortunately, too many people equate gentle with weak.

Illustration: In fact, the reverse is true. I’ve seen kids play with their dads and they’ll try to squeeze their dad’s hand as hard as they can, trying to make it hurt. The child could squeeze with all their might, but it won’t never hurt. The child doesn’t need to be gentle because they lack the power to cause any pain. But the dad, if we wanted to, could squeeze until he caused real damage. He must be gentle. It's the strong hand, not the weak one, that must learn to be gentle.

In fact, the reverse is true.

When my daughter was young, she used to love to squeeze my hand as hard as she could, trying to make it hurt. She could squeeze with all her might, but it never hurt. She didn't need to be gentle because she lacked the power to cause me any pain. Then, just for fun, I'd give her hand a tight little squeeze until she yelped.

It's the strong hand, not the weak one, that must learn to be gentle.

Gentleness is strength under control

Gentleness is

The strength to hold back when I want to lash out.

The strength to keep my mouth shut when I really want to say something

The strength to know I don’t have to react to every situation

It’s the strength to walk away instead of causing damage

It’s speaking the truth in ways others can receive.

Proverbs 15:1 NLT

A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare.

Question: In what situations do you find it most difficult to be gentle?

Control

Illustration: Too many of us think of strength like this (Show clip of hulk). Yeah It gets things done, But it damages everything along the way!

When you get angry, it’s like the hulk - Bruce Banner looses control. We loose control of the situation. Gentleness is how we get that control back.

When you loose control, that means that someone or something else is controlling the situation.

If you want control back, practice gentleness.

Gentleness means I’m in control of the situation, It’s not controlling me.

Illustration: Anyone every run into a glass door? Anyone every had a glass door or window break on them? Picture a glass door here. This door represents any person or relationship that stands between us and what we want. How we attempt to get through that door will determine the outcome. If we're careless, we may still get what we want, but we'll cause a lot of damage in the process.

Illustration: Picture a glass door here. What I want is on the other side of this door. There are several ways I can go about getting what’s on the other side of the door. I can get angry, throw a chair into the door and break the glass - But I run the risk of hurting myself or others. I also bring damage. Or I can simply, and gently, open the door.

How many of us are damaging our relationships because of our lack of gentleness?

Gentleness is essential for healthy relationships.

Discuss: Tell us about a time you lost control and it damaged a relationship.

Growth

Gentleness provides growth without damage

Gentleness requires that I submit to the Holy Spirit and I begin to develop discipline.

Illustration: When learning to play the guitar I didn’t just grab it and start banging around on it. I learned, over time, and developed discipline as to where to put my fingers and how to hold the pick and I learned when it’s appropriate to strum or hit it hard and when not to - and doing this makes wonderful music.

A gentle person is learning to discipline themselves not to react to situations. I’m learning when it’s appropriate to use strength and how much to use. I’m learning when it’s appropriate to be loud and when I should be soft. I’m learning and I’m growing in a way that If I just didn’t what I wanted, I wouldn’t grow!

Gentleness is learning to approach the situations in your life in a way that is less damaging to you and those around you.

God is gentle with you

Discuss: Tell us about a time where you grew personally because you decided to be gentle instead of lash out in anger.

Peel back anger and put on Gentleness.

Conclusion

Peel back anger, put on gentleness.

God is gentle with you, and he calls us to be gentle with one another and even with those who we don’t get along with.

Jesus Tells us he is gentle with us.

Matthew 11:29–30 NLT

Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.”

2 Timothy 2:24–26 NLT

A servant of the Lord must not quarrel but must be kind to everyone, be able to teach, and be patient with difficult people. Gently instruct those who oppose the truth. Perhaps God will change those people’s hearts, and they will learn the truth. Then they will come to their senses and escape from the devil’s trap. For they have been held captive by him to do whatever he wants.

I want you to take a moment on your paper tonight and think about the people you need to be more gentle with. Then I want you to pray for them and pray for you. Pray that God will give you a spirit of gentleness.